NATIONAL CONVENTION CALLS FOR BRAILLE LITERACY

By James Gashel

Editor's Note: Mr. James Gashel is the Director
of Governmental Affairs for the National Federation
of the Blind.

Braille literacy for blind youngsters was a theme
much repeated at the 1988 convention of the National
Federation of the Blind. The convention
was held in Chicago during the first week of July,
1988, and brought over three thousand active
leaders among the blind together. Resolution
88-07 concerning Braille literacy was adopted unanimously
by the convention on July 8.

Educators, employers, and lawmakers are voicing
concerns over growing literacy problems
among the U.S. population in general. Several
years ago the United States Department of
Education launched a special literacy initiative
with only passing reference to the blind and the
need for Braille. More recently, the United
States Department of Labor has also begun to
emphasize the importance of work place
literacy. RESOLUTION 88-07 identifies two
bills which were under consideration by the 100th
Congress, both calling for increased literacy initiatives.
Neither bill mentions the blind or anything
about the need for Braille literacy skills.

The unanimous adoption of this resolution by the
Federation's National Convention is another expression
of this organization's strong commitment
to Braille literacy for the blind. Whenever
the resources of our country are spent to improve
literacy skills among our general population,
blind persons should receive their fair share of
the training. Braille must not be regarded as a
second-class method of reading and writing.
Resolution 88-07 reminds all of us to redouble
our efforts in urging the federal government and
the states to promote laws and programs to bring
greater literacy skills to the blind of all ages. The
resolution follows:

RESOLUTION 88-07

WHEREAS, Congress is considering legislation
(H.R. 3019 and S. 1016) to make grants for the
establishment of special initiatives to increase
the level of literacy in our country; and

WHEREAS, the level of Braille literacy skills
among the blind remains low because many
educators of the blind themselves do not know
Braille sufficiently to teach it; and

WHEREAS, advancements in technology have
removed the excuse that Braille materials are too
expensive and cannot be readily available, yet the
denial of Braille instruction to the blind still persists
to a crisis proportion: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation
of the Blind in Convention assembled this 8th day
of July, 1988, in the City of Chicago, Illinois, that
this Federation demand that the resources of our
country be used to promote Braille literacy for
the blind just as they are used to promote literacy
in using print for the sighted; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this policy
be implemented by seeking appropriate changes
in federal and state legislation which will require
all elmentary and secondary school programs to
offer Braille instruction to any student who is
blind.